For performance and data integrity reasons, computing systems that access shared data, such as SYSPLEX offered by International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y., must be able to maintain time of day (TOD) clock synchronization to an accuracy that is better than best case communication time between the systems. Currently, in one example, to meet the synchronization requirements, a timer, such as the IBM® 9037 SYSPLEX timer, is used. This timer requires expensive dedicated timing links and a separate external box.
Other networks, such as the Network Timing Protocol (NTP), provide time synchronization, but do not meet the accuracy requirements of high-end systems. NTP requires that each server has access to an external time source that provides accuracy to a microsecond level in order to ensure all servers synchronize to the same reference time. This is a problem for those systems that do not have a capability to attach to external time servers that provide this level of accuracy. Further, a requirement of GPS receivers or similar attachment on each system may be considered infeasible for maintenance, security and reliability reasons.